$490 Billion defense road map rollout, blacked out by mediahttp://www.dominionpaper.ca/weblogs/amy_miller/2060September 8, 2008You would think something like a detailed road map of ‘the modernization of the Canadian forces’, at the big fancy 8th Conference of Defense Ministers of the Americas (CDMA) would elicit some sort discussion or analysis from the Canadian media/ chattering class. At the conference, Peter Mackay began to spin links between the need to respond to ‘natural disasters’ and ‘security of the Olympics’ with armed security. The highlight of the conference was the release of Canada's 20-year, $490 billion “Canada First Defense Strategy,” a detailed plan to modernize its armed forces and its military industry. McKay also signed a Memoranda of Understanding with his counterparts in Honduras, Guatemala and Bolivia, which falls under the Military Training Assistance Programme (MTAP). Yet hardly a boo, has been published about this week long conference, as the Republican convention in St Paul and the buzz around the soon to be announced election provided a nice blackout about things that were going on, that the media and lobbyist just aren't so interested in regular folks to know about.

So what do we know happened this week in the luxury resort of Banff where the delegates from 34 countries met under the theme of ‘Co-operation and Collaboration”?According to CP Canadian Defense Minister and host of the conference, Peter MacKay addressed the crowd by stirring their shared belief that "Now more than ever, we are all connected and need to cooperate to achieve the security, democratic development, and prosperity we all desire”.

Mackay was quoted in CP as saying that “Ministers will discuss how to co-operate on providing armed security during natural disasters such as hurricanes or major national events like the 2010 Olympic games in Vancouver”. (emphasis added)

US Defense Secretary Robert M. Iran Contra Affair Gates added his two cents to further this argument of ‘natural disaster and national events’ blending of security measures with "We have a collective dream: a free, prosperous and secure hemisphere. By working together, we can transform that dream into reality and embrace the great promise and potential of the Americas...... Sub-themes for this year's gathering include generating military assistance for regionally or nationally hosted events like the 2010 Winter Olympics in Canada and peacekeeping support in places like Haiti. CDMA's final communiqué may address the need to create a multi-nation disaster task force.” Gates also briefly mentioned the 'cooperation programs' of the very new Merida Initiative involving a U.S.-Mexico-Central America partnership which is suppose to fight drug-related violence, the Caribbean Community efforts to improve security on Caribbean waters, and the proposed South American Defense Council. The next meeting of the CDMA will be held in Bolivia in 2010.

We also know that the merging/collaboration of important economics-trade-military issues was discussed at the conference from an article by 'america.gov', who wrote “Carlo Dade, executive director of the Canadian Foundation for the Americas in Ottawa, told America.gov that hemispheric military police relations are a subject of special interest to Canada."

This 'special interest' is important to same right wing lobbyist think tank that published the report last month called “ Alberta Oil Sands: Sustainable Energy Security for the Americas?” which aptly ties in the need for military and economic cohesion between Canada and the US. "The oil sands hold the promise that both North and South America can rely on Alberta and its energy resources for decades to come, as trade within the Americas grows and Canadians become more fully integrated into pan-American economic and cultural streams." We can assume other important lobbyists were in attendance but exactly who is simply speculation without access to a list of the participants, but I am willing to guess that anyone with an interest in securing some of the contracts for the next few years, was there, starting with Lockheed Martin Canada.

The Canadian government didn’t waste any time in starting to put forward that $490 billion dollars, ‘Defense First Strategy’ as the Tories plan on giving a $1 Billion contract to upgrade the navy’s frigates to Lockheed Martin Canada this week, according to David Pugliese in his Sunday article published in the Ottawa citizen. As well the open secret Canadian mercenaries JTF2 will be moved to Trenton at a price tag of $300 million. Another $200 million will be used to revamp infrastructure in Trenton and another $140 million will be used to improve conditions at CFB Gagetown, N.B.The Military industrial/corporate complex in Canada is happy this first week of electioneering that is for sure! As the rest of Canadians probably never heard about this conference, with the 500+ military and war makers in attendance, not much debate is expected.

Afghanistan, according to the Conservatives, isn't an election priority for Canadians. Filling the North with soldiers, warplanes, and tanks, apparently, is.

Snippets from Conservative messaging on the Arctic, meant to be sent by Canadians as letters to editors, include:

"I’m glad our government is finally seeing the potential of the Canadian Arctic and is making real plans to protect and defend it... A serious military presence is what we need and that’s what Stephen Harper is giving us... we have to show the world we have the military means to assert our sovereignty... Conservatives are talking about respect for our Northern governments, economic development, environmental protection and increased military presence as means to assert sovereignty in our Arctic..."

Don't Vote ConservativeThis video isn't telling you to say, vote Liberal or Communist or anything, but simply telling you, or harshly urging you, to NOT vote for the Conservative Party of Canada.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lsZmhw4XDmA

CANADA VOTES 2008 HARPERS CANADAEnough is enough, are we really going to do this for 100 years. Our troops will do the job but do you really want them to. Harper hasn't even inform NATO we are out in 2011. Will he after the election maybe yes maybe no.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GU8EKLJBQSY

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Devil's Advocate
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2:06 AM

As far as I'm concerned, we need to do our part to DISMANTLE not only the Conservatives, but the Liberals as well.

I'm tired of seeing this country's voters continue this ignorant, 2-party flip-flop. And, I'm not just tired, but insulted, by the sanctioning of these 2 parties' never-ending and childish negative campaigning, all done on OUR nickel! No matter which one wins - Conservative or Liberal - the "secret" sellout of our country continues!

NAFTA gets introduced, and passed, without the input of the People and hardly a peep from the press (no real surprise there, I guess).Then, we start catching our leaders participating in Bilderburg meetings. Soon after, we're hosting those meetings, complete with ARMED US GUARDS ON OUR SOIL, CASUALLY TREADING ON GRAVES AND FIRING TEARGAS AT OUR CITIZENS (who were exercising their Constitutional right to be there, and express their anger about these secretive conferences).

Now, they're intentions appear to be to just keep on going with the SPP and other steps toward the NAU plan. And, while they're signing more documents in agreement of all this, they still keep DENYING it at every turn!!

Who the FUCK do they think they ARE??! Who the fuck do they think WE are!!?

If we don't find a way to reverse this process NOW, we will soon be owned by the IMF.

1) We need to STOP voting for those who don't include us in their agendas!

2) We need to INSIST on the things our Constitution is supposed to guarantee us - any deviation from that should be rewarded with a huge collective slap in their publicly-funded faces!

3) We need to REMIND those in power who PUT THEM THERE, and REFUSE to accept their lies, and complacency in the lies of others! (Good example: DEMAND they confess what they already know about 9/11, and DEMAND out involvement in all its aftermath be REVOKED, pending an accountable investigation into all that happened!)

4) DEMAND accountability where it is supposed to be expected!

5) REFUSE to let them throw away our sovereignty!! We are probably one of only a few remaining countries that can print its own money. REFUSE to become part of the US. REFUSE the North American Union plan with every fiber of your being!

6) STOP letting them get away with shitting in your faces!

One really huge benefit of the Internet is it puts some of that lost power back in the hands of the People... but they have to USE IT!! Don't sit on your ass, hoping everything will be alright. In order to reverse the whole sellout of Canada, everyone who possibly can must GET INVOLVED! Join the voices on the Internet and on the street and BE HEARD!

And, don't stop until they put your sovereignty back behind the protective bullet-proof glass, lock the door, and throw YOU the key.

A lot of dropping of SPP buzzwords by MacKay et. al. Things seem to be moving along. SPP and U.S. NorthCom are setting the stage for NAU. American Manifest Destiny, though never spoken, has been part of American policy since the country's inception. If there were any real political outrage, I would imagine that the CAP would be going through the roof. Nationalist jingoism is hardly going to deter NAU. The only political alternative down the road is bioregional secession, IMO.

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PAST PETITION TO THE HOUSE OF COMMONS IN PARLIAMENT ASSEMBLED

We, the citizens of Canada draw the attention of the House to the following:

THAT, scientific and eyewitness evidence shows that the 9/11 Commission Report is a fraudulent document and that those behind the report are consciously or unconsciously guilty of covering up what happened on 9/11/2001. This evidence overwhelmingly supports the conclusion that World Trade Center Towers 1, 2 and 7 were brought down by demolition explosives and that the official theory of the towers collapsing from the airplanes and the ensuing fires is irrefutably false.

We further believe that elements within the US government were complicit in the murder of thousands of people on 9/11/2001. This event brought Canada into the so-called “War on Terror,” it changed our domestic and foreign policies for the worse, and it will continue to have negative consequences for us all if we refuse to look at the facts.

THEREFORE, your petitioners call upon Parliament to:

(1) Immediately launch its own investigation into the events of 9/11/2001 on behalf of the 24 Canadian citizens murdered in New York City.

(2) Act lawfully on the findings of its own investigation by helping to pursue the guilty parties in the international courts.
Committed to truth and accountability,